Valve-controller.



no. 687,273. Patented Nov. 2 6, i901.

' Y a. J. scHoEFFAEL & c.. A. MARRDER.

VALVE CONTROLLER.

(Application led Dec. 11,1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented No-v. 26, |901, G. J. SCHDEFFEL yS C. A. M'ARRDER. vALvEcoNTnoLLEn l//\ (Application med neef 1 1, 17897. LN o M o d ag THE NOHSPETERS C0. PNOTOLITHO., WSNINGYDN, D4 C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.;

, GEORGE J. SCHOEEEEL, OE BROOKLYN, AND CHARLES A. MARRDER, OE NEW YORK,N. Y., AsSIGNORs, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE SIGNAL ANDCONTROL COMPANY, OE BOROUGH OE MANHATTAN, NEW4 YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OE WEST VIRGINIA.

VALVE-CONTRO LLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 687,273, datedNovember 26, 1901. Application led December 11, 1897. Serial No.661,523. (N IDOCSL) To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, GEORGE J. SCHOEFFEL, residing at Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings, and CHARLES A. MARRDER, residing at New 5 York city, inthe county of New York, State of New York, citizens of the UnitedStates,`

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in ValveControllers,of which the following is a specification.

Io The object of our invention is to provide a valve-controlling devicewhich may be readily and effectivelyoperated from a distance and whichdevice will not possess the disadvantages of apparatus of that characterheretofore in use. In apparatus of this character it has been customaryto provide a main valve with an auxiliary controlling-valve, whichauxiliary valve was operated by an electromagnet controlled from adistance. We have 2o found in practice that the magnet required for thiswork must he quite large, and hence considerable battery-power isrequired. This is not only objectionable because of the num,- ber ofcells required, but also for the reason z 5 that the battery is tooliable to run down and become ineitective. This is particularlyobjectionable where the magnets are controlled by automaticcircuit-controllers for 'periodica ally closing the circuit to themagnets and pe- 3o riodicallyopening and closing the main valve. In thelatter case it is evident that when the valve is periodically operatedfor a considerable time the battery strength will be materiallydecreased and become insufcient to 3 5 operate the electromagneticvalve-controller. To overcome this difficulty, we provide in place ofthe electromagnetic valve-controller a controller employingiiuidfpressure, either air, gas, or liquid. In such an arrangement 4othe controller may operate entirely by airpressure or entirely byliquid-pressure or by a combination of air and liquid pressure. Such acontroller may be combined with the auxiliary valve in several Ways. Inone form of our invention we provide a small cylinder having a pistonprovided with a rod, which engages the valve-stem of the auxiliary valveand which cylinder is connected with the airsupply through a suitablecontrolling-valve,

which may be either a hand-operated valve or an automatically-operatedvalve. Instead of this arrangement we may combine the aircylinder andpiston with the auxiliary valve in the same structure, the air-chamberof. the auxiliary valve being connected wit-h the airsupply through acontrolling-valve, as in the valve and its auxiliary valve, the latterbeing operated or controlled by the fluid-pressure controller; Fig. 2, avertical sectionof a main valve and its auxiliary valve and showing thelatter combined with the pist-on of the Huid-pressure controller; Fig.3, a horizontal central section of the valves shown in Fig. 2, and Fig.4t is a plan view illustrating the ar rangement in which the pistonwhich operates the auxiliary valve is actuated by a liquid column movedby a piston or equivalent device actuated by air-pressure.

Referring to Fig. 1, A indicates the mainvalve chamber, B the pipeleading to the inlet side of the valve, and C the pipe extending fromthe outlet' side of the valve. D is the auxiliary valve for controllingthe main valve. This auxiliary valve may be constructed as shown in Fig.2 or may be of any other suitable construction in which the valve-stem dprojects from the valve-casing imposition to be actuated by thepneumatic operator.` The pneumatic operator comprises the cylinder E,having a piston e and a rod e', which rests upon the valve-stem (l. Thecylinder E is supported from the main valve by a bracket e2. F is theair-supply pipe connected between the upper Side of the cylinder E andthe controlling-valve G. From the controlling-valve G a pipe H extendsto the air-supply, which may be a tank of any suit,

able'form in which air is contained under Figure l is a planviewillustrating a main .for controlling communication between pressure.The controlling-valve G may be of any suitable construction, butpreferably one provided with an exhaust-port to allow the compressed airin cylinder E and pipe F to expand to its normal pressure when thecontrolling-valve G is closed, and thereby permit piston e to ret-urnquickly to its normal position, and hence a quick return of theauxiliary valve to its normal position. In the drawings we haveillustrated a simple form of rotary valve, having a passage g foropening communication between pipes F and H and a passage g' for openingcommunication between pipe F and the exhaust-port g2. The. exhaust isnormally open, as shown, and the rotation ot' the valve in eitherdirection will close the exhaust-port, and a quarter-turn will opencommunication between pipes F and H. The air-pressure entering thecylinder E drives the piston e downward, which through its rod e'operates the auxiliary valve. The operation of this valve permits theopening of the main valve through the pressure in the pipe B, as is nowwell understood. The main valve A will remain open so long as thepressure upon the piston c is maintained.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, A indicates the main-valve chamber,having a valve A', carried bya valve-stem A2, upon which stem is also apiston A3, working in the chamber A B is the inlet side of the mainvalve, and C the outlet side, as in Fig. l. D is the auxiliary-valvechamber, and this chamber has a port d', which communicates with theinlet side of the main valve, and a port d2, which communicates with thechamber A4 to the left of piston A3. The auxiliary valve comprises twovalves d3 and d4, the former the ports d' and d2 and the latter forcontrolling communication between the port d2 and the exhaust-port d5.In the position shown in Fig. 2 valve cl3 is open and d4 closed, andthus steam from the inlet side of the main valve is free to enter thechamber A4 and act upon the left-hand side of the piston A3, thepressure upon which balances the pressure upon the right-hand sidedirect from the inlet side of the valve, and thus the pressure upon thevalve A' from the inlet will hold that valve to its seat and shut offcommunication between the pipes B and C. To open the main valve, thestem d of the auxiliary valve is actuated so as to open valve d4 andclose valve cl3, thus shutting ott the flow of steam from the inlet sideof the main valve to the chamber A4 and permitting the escape of steamfrom the chamber A1 through the exhaust-port This action removes thepressure from the left-hand side of the piston A3, and the pressure uponthe right-hand side of the piston overbalances the pressure upon thevalve A', whereupon the valve will open and remain open so long as thereis no pressure upon the left-hand side of the piston A3. To operate theauxiliary valve in this construction by air-pressure, we provide theair-chamber E', in which is a piston e, mounted upon the upper end ofthe valve-stem d. The air-supply pipe F is connected with theair-chamberE', and thus when air under pressure is admitted to chamberE' piston e will be forced downward, operating valves d3 and d4 toeffect the opening of the main valve A', as above described, and valvesZ3 and d4 will be held in that position so long as the pressure upon thepiston e is maintained. When the pressure upon the piston c ceases, thesteam-pressure from the inlet side of the main valve will raise theauxiliary valves and return them to the position illustrated in thedrawings, at which position communication between ports d' and d2 isrestored and the exhaust-port d5 closed. In the arrangement of Fig. 2 itwill be understood, of course, that the pipe F leads to acontrolling-valve G, which controls the airsupply, as in Fig. l. Insteadof operating piston e, as described, the same eit'ect may beaccomplished by exhausting the air from the chambers E and E' at theunder side of the piston, producing a vacuum and permitting theatmospheric pressure upon the upper side of the piston c to effect theoperation of the auxiliary valves. For this purpose it will beunderstood that the cylinders E and E' will be connected with a suitableair-pump, and a controlling-valve will be provided in the pipe betweenthe cylinders E and E' and the pump.

Referring now to Fig. 4, A is the mainvalve chamber; B, the pipe leadingto the inletside of the valve; C, the pipe extending from the outletside of the main valve, and D the auxiliary valve. The auxiliary valveis operated by the piston 1' and rod 1l' working in cylinder I. Fromchamber I extends a pipe F' to the cylinder J, containing a piston J',normally seated at the lower end of the cylinder. Between the piston andcap J2 is a spring J3 for returning the piston to its normal position.Cap J 2 is provided with a bearing a: for rod y, which guides the pistonin its movement. Cylinder I, below piston 1', pipe F', and cylinder J,above piston J', are lled with a suitable liquid, such as glycerin orother non-freezing oil. Piston J is actuated by air-pressure deliveredfrom the source of supply through pipe H, connected to thecontrolling-Valve G'. This valve may be similar to valve Gr of Fig. 1and connected with cylinder J bya pipe in the same manner as cylinder Eand valve G are con nected by pipe F in Fig. l; but we prefer to combinethe cylinder J and rotary Valve G' into one structure. This valve has apassage g for opening communication between pipe II and port g3, openinginto the bottom of cyllinder J, and a passage g' for opening com;munication between the port gS andthe exhaust-port g2. I/Vhen valve G'is rotated to open communication between pipe I-I and cylinder J, theair-pressure will force piston J' upward, thereby moving the liquid andIIO forcing piston t' upward, which in turn, through its rod i',operates the auxiliary valve. When valve G is turned back to its normalposition, the air-pressure is 'cut off and the exhaust-port is opened,whereupon piston J will be moved quickly to its normal position byspring J3 and the weight of the liquid column. 'lhe pressure upon theauxiliary valve being now removed, that valve Will be free to return toits normal position' auxiliary valve, and means for controllingthemovement of said piston from a distant point, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination of a main valve operated by pressure from Within thevalve, an auxiliary valve for controlling said main valve, a pistonWorking in a cylinder and actuated byiiuid-pressure for operating saidYauxiliary valve, and means for controlling the movement of said pistonfrom a distant point, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a main valve, an auxiliary valve for controllingsaid main valve, a piston Working in a cylinder and actuated by liquidpressure for operating said auxiliary valve, and means for controllingthe movement of said piston from a distant point,

' substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a main Valve, an auxiliary valve for controllingsaid main valve, a piston Working in a cylinder and actuated byliquid-pressure for operating said auxiliary valve, a controlling devicehaving a liquid-chamber connected with said cylinder, and means forapplying pressure to the liquid to actuate the piston in said cylinder,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination With a main valve and an auxiliary valve, of a pistonWorking in a cylinder and actuated by liquid-pressure for operating saidauxiliary valve, a controlling device having a liquid-chamber connectedwith said cylinder, and a piston actuated by air-pressure for applyingpressure to the liq uid to actuate the piston in said cylinder,substantially as set forth. v

6. The combination with a main valve and an auxiliary valve, of a pistonWorking in a cylinder and actuated by liquid-pressure for operating saidauxiliary valve, a controlling device having a liquid-chamber connectedwith said cylinder, a piston in said chamber actuated by air-pressurefor applying pressure to the liquid to actuate the first-named piston,and a hand-operated valve for controlling the air-pressure,substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a main valve and an auxiliary valve, of a pistonWorking in a cylinder and actuated by liquid-pressure for operating saidauxiliary valve, a controlling device having a liquid-chamber connectedwith said cylinder, a piston in said chamber actuated by air-pressurefor applying pressure to the liquid to actuate the first-named piston,aud a hand-operated valve for controlling the air-pressure, said valvehaving an exhaust-port to relieve the pressure upon the piston when thevalve is closed, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 1st day of December, 1897.

GEO. J. SOHOEFFEL. CHARLES A. MARRDER. Witnesses:

JAMES H. ScoTT, W. PELZER.

